Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo Kurosaki (黒崎 一護, Kurosaki Ichigo) is a Human who has Shinigami powers. He is also a Substitute Shinigami. Ichigo is the son of Isshin and Masaki Kurosaki and older brother of Karin and Yuzu. He is also the biological father of Anastasiya Akashiya-Kurosaki, and the lover of Moka Akashiya. Ichigo claims that his name comes from: ichi for first prize and go for guardian angel, although his father told him that his name means "he who protects." Using certain kanji, Ichigo's name can also mean "strawberry," which led Jidanbō Ikkanzaka to comment that Ichigo has a cute name and Mashiro Kuna to nickname him "Berry-tan". Upon hearing his name, Ikkaku Madarame remarked that men whose names contain the word ichi are often powerful and talented. Appearance Ichigo looks like a normal teenage boy, except that his hair is spiky orange, a trait that he has been ridiculed about for years on end. He is a fairly tall, lean-built young man with peach skin and brown eyes. He likes to wear tight clothes on top and bottom. He has a tendency to wear shirts patterned with the number 15, because his name is a homonym for the number. Since becoming a Shinigami, he has become noticeably more muscular, as noted by his sister Karin. When in his spiritual form, Ichigo wears the standard Shinigami attire with the addition of a strap across his chest. Initially, it was a thick brown belt to hold his Zanpakutō sheath, but it later became a red rosary-like strap. The shape of them is a kite with a flat top and bottom. Ichigo's appearance has caused several people, including Jūshirō Ukitake, to notice a similarity to Kaien Shiba; the former lieutenant of the 13th Division. After training in the Dangai, Ichigo's hair grows considerably and is noticeably taller, as stated by his friends. However, after Ichigo loses all his spiritual powers, his appearance reverts to the way it was before his Dangai training. Seventeen months after defeating Aizen, Ichigo's appearance doesn't change, except that he becomes taller and grows sideburns. After regaining his powers, Ichigo’s Shinigami attire also consists of a thicker strap across his chest. He also has four black vertical lines on his forearms and black, tattoo-like bands crossing over his chest, wrists, and ankles. Similar bands, but with white ends, are around his neck as collars. Personality When he was younger, Ichigo considered his mother to be the center of his world, always smiling when he was with Masaki and he was regularly holding her hand. Despite crying whenever he lost in a match at the dojo he attended, Ichigo started to smile again as soon as he saw Masaki when she came to pick him up. At a very young age, Ichigo heard his father saying that his name means "to protect one thing," which instilled in him a desire to protect his mother. When his sisters were born he began attending a dojo for the sake of protecting them, since then the number of people he wished to protect has continued to grow, causing Ichigo to risk his life to protect both the people close to him and strangers. As a teenager, Ichigo's personality is much more complex. Stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed and impulsive. He attempts to maintain a detached and "cool" image, despite claiming not to care about what other people think about him. He generally keeps his face set in a near-permanent scowl, with his eyebrows drawn together. His outspoken, hot-headed demeanor is a trait Ichigo himself has acknowledged, and that if somebody picks a fight with him, he cannot help fighting back. He coldly refers to his teachers as “instructors”. However, he is shown to be genuinely compassionate and empathetic towards others, as seen by him promising to bring a Plus flowers and a toy plane or soothing others when they become upset. Ichigo is also a capable student, ranked 23rd in his year at school, studying regularly and not neglecting his schoolwork. He works as hard as he does to overcome the misconceptions many have about him based on his hair color and fighting. Ichigo hates fortune telling, horoscopes, feng shui, psychics and anyone whose trade involves taking money from people for things that they cannot see. He has difficulty remembering people's faces and names. Ichigo becomes extremely shy and uncomfortable around nude or immodestly dressed women, a fact both Yoruichi Shihoin and Rangiku Matsumoto have teased him for. Ichigo is often disrespectful when talking to those older than himself, calling Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto "gramps" and referring to several of the Shinigami captains by their given names without using honorifics. When it comes to fighting, Ichigo has a complex sense of honor; he regularly seeks to exact revenge for the cruel actions of his opponent, such as instilling the fear of being murdered in Shrieker and cutting off the right arm of Yammy Llargo in retaliation for him ripping Yasutora Sado's right arm apart. He often taunts and belittles his opponents when fighting, sometimes even attacking without warning. Ichigo has a strong desire to win his fights, but in a fair way, in what he views as a legitimate manner. To this end, he has often refused the aid of his inner Hollow, even when knowing that it would allow him to win. However, Ichigo's resolve in battle can waver at times, which can impede his fighting prowess and goes into a state of depression and self-loathing when he loses a major battle or lets a friend down.